Don't Take Pictures

This series showcases those who have expanded their artistic palate, moving from still to motion, or motion to still.

Search “Showtime NYC” on YouTube and you will find that most videos of the street and subway breakdancers are made by tourists. They are often shot vertically, have terrible lighting and camera shake, and are overwhelmed by the squealing sounds of the subway. With a simple kit consisting of a Canon EOS 7D, a stabilizer, and a rented lens, visiting Irish filmmaker Scott Carthy followed a Showtime dance duo, recoding their performances as well as their thoughts and motivations for performing in the narrow, moving subways cars day after day. Carthy’s filmmaker’s eye makes for a beautiful seven-minute film about street dance culture in New York.

The film goes beyond a simple dance video or fly-by documentary. At the time of production, arrests had increased dramatically for these performers under the code that also serves as the film’s title 1050.6(c). Voiceovers of enforcement policies and arrest statistics are layered over slow-motion footage of the dancers on subway platforms and inside the train cars. The opening sequence shows a series of beautifully choreographed breakdance moves in slow motion. Shot on a rooftop, the city’s skyline at dusk serves as a backdrop. Through voiceover, the dancers speak about what Showtime means to them, an escape from rough neighborhoods, and a love of dance.